If You See Them
by Poetess
Summary: An after they get home story.


If you see them

Disclaimer: They're not mine, yada yada yada. The song belongs to Reba McEntire.

Background info. Assuming that they get home and J/C become a couple. 

B'Elanna and Tom were walking through the San Francisco Park. It was so nice to finally have things quieted down and to be able to be themselves again. It had been almost a year since Voyagers unexpected return from the Delta Quadrant. A well placed wormhole by whatever gods were out there, and they were home. Star Fleet Command had been wonderful about letting everyone get reacquainted. And finally Kathryn felt free to be with Chakotay. They had both gone to her mothers' home in Indiana. B'Elanna had gotten a few messages from Chakotay at first, telling her how wonderful everything was. He felt like he and Kathryn finally had a chance at happiness. Then the "Captain" returned. 

Janway was offered a deep space mission about three months after their move to Indiana. Chakotay was offered the same mission, but he turned it down. He said that his life in the stars was over and he wanted to settle down and raise a family. They argued about it for weeks, and in the last message B'Elanna received Chakotay said she had left. She just couldn't keep Kathryn and the Captain separate. Chakotay had stayed in Indian for a week after she left, and then had decided it was time to move on. That was almost seven months ago and the last that B'Elanna had heard from him. She had also heard recently that the captain was back from her mission, and she wondered how each of them were doing, or if they even knew were the other was.

B'Elanna was thinking about all these things while she was walking with Tom in the park. They had just turned down a little path when they saw Captain Janway sitting under a tree. "Captain!" shouted Tom, and they ran over to her. "How have you been Captain?"

"Please, call me Kathryn. We're not on Voyager anymore, and are just friends now. I've been doing ok I guess, how are the two of you? And everyone else?"

"Oh, we're fine Cap…Kathryn. Tom and I are getting married in a few months. We wanted to wait until we were sure you would be back. You will come wont you?"

"Of course I will! Where else would I rather be? Please, sit down and fill me in on everything!" She said. B'Elanna and Tom gave each other a quick look, and then Tom said, "You know what? I'm going to let you to gals catch up, and I'm going to go for a little walk. I think I need the exercise." He patted his slim stomach and then walked off with an "Ill be back later."

"Exercise! Hah!" said B'Elanna. " He just can't stand girl talk. He's always running off when Megan or Seven comes over."

"Seven comes over? To visit you? Wow, things really have changed. What brought on this new found friendship?"

"Well, most of us have stayed pretty close by each other, and even though she wont admit it, I think Seven took your leaving again kind of hard. You were the only woman she really talked to."

"I'm sorry that Seven felt that way, but maybe it was for the best. It made her reach out to someone else. So, you said that most of you are near by? Who's not around anymore?"

"Tuvok went back to Vulcan to be with his family. He said that it was 'illogical to decide to live somewhere sole on emotion.' That may be true, but I happen to know that he sends a communiqué to at least one member of the old command team once a week. And Chakotay, I haven't seen him since…."

"Since I left. Have you talked to him at least?" Kathryn was looking down at her hands when she asked this question. She was trying to look like she really didn't care, but she failed.

"We talk every now and then. He's been traveling, but I haven't heard from him in over a week. I don't know where he is."

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Tom was enjoying his walk. He was just happy to get away from the ladies. It wasn't that he didn't like the Captain…Kathryn. He did. But he could only take so much girl talk at one time, and he knew that eventually Chakotay would be brought up and he didn't want to be there. 

He must have been really thinking about Chakotay, because suddenly he thought he saw him sitting on a park bench a few yards away. He got a little closer and realized that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him after all. That really was Chakotay sitting there. He ran up behind him and clapped him on the shoulder. Chakotay jumped up and spun around. For a min he had a blank look on his face, but then his eyes cleared, and he broke out in a big grin. They talked a little about old times and old friends. Tom knew that B'Elanna had invited him to the wedding already, but he wanted Chakotay to know that he wanted him there as well. Chakotay promised to be there.

After a while, as Tom suspected it would, the conversation turned to the topic of Kathryn. He had been traveling, and didn't know if she was back yet, or what she had been doing. He tried not to let the pain show, but like Kathryn, he to failed. Tom didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure if he should tell Chakotay that she was there in the park, so he just said that he knew she was home. For a while, the two of them just sat in silence.

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Kathryn sat there silently for a moment. Then she looked at B'Elanna with a sad expression on her face. Finally she started to talk. "I wont even begin to try to explain to you what happened. I'm not sure that I know myself. Can you do me a favor though? If you see him, tell him I wish him well. Sometimes it's hard to tell how I'm doing. I still miss him more than ever but please don't say a word if you see him."

-^--^--^--^--^--^-

After a while Chakotay got up and started walking in no particular direction. Tom got up and followed after him. Chakotay was looking off into the distance when he started talking. "I don't know if or when I'll see her again. Maybe at your wedding. But if you see her first can you do me a favor? If you see her, tell her I'm doing fine. And if you want to, say that I think of her from time to time. Ask her if she ever wonders where we both went wrong."

Chakotay was still talking as they wandered around the corner to where Kathryn and B'Elanna were sitting. He had just finished telling Tom that after all this time he still wanted her. At the same time he heard Kathryn telling B'Elanna that she still needed him. They both looked at each other and said, "I don't know why we let each other go." B'Elanna and Tom looked at each other. Then after making some quiet excuses, they slowly backed away. Kathryn and Chakotay continued to look at each other. Finally Kathryn broke the silence.

"I don't know what to say. I haven't tried to contact you because I was scared. I ran because I was scared. These feelings I have for you scare me. After voyager, I didn't know what I was supposed to do. I had no more excuses. I was free to love you. I am so sorry that I ran."

"Kathryn, I felt the same way, but I was willing to face those fears. I love you more than life its self."

"You didn't say 'loved'. Does this mean that we still might have a chance?

"What about Starfleet?"

"I resigned two months ago. I was looking for something there, that I could only find with you. Peace."

"Kathryn I want you to know that even if it would have taken forever, I would still be here for you. I'm just glad it didn't take that long. It's a real shame though."

"What is?" asked Kathryn with a confused look on her face.

"That we have to wait so long to get married. We can't take the spotlight off of Tom and B'Elanna, so we have to wait until after their wedding."

"Whoever said I was going to marry you anyway?" Kathryn asked with a small grin.

"Whoever said you had a choice?" replied Chokotay before he leaned over to give a kiss that would last forever.

--end—

If You See Him/Her by Reba McEntire and Brooks and Dunn.

__

If you see him

Tell him I wish him well

How am I doing?

Well sometimes it's hard to tell

I still miss him more than ever

But please don't say a word

If you see him

Oh if you see him

If you see her

Tell her I'm doing fine

And if you want to

Say that I think of her

From time to time

Ask her if she ever wonders

Where we both went wrong

If you see her

If you see her

Oh I still want her

__

And I still need him so

****

Oh I don't know why we let each other go

If you see her

Tell her the lights still on for her

__

Nothings changed

Deep down the fire still burns for him

****

And even if it takes forever

Say Ill still be here

__

If you see him

If you see her

If you see her

If you see him


End file.
